17th Century Ceylonese Sinhalese Knife Dagger Piha Kaetta Sri Lanka

A broad, single-edged steel blade with a fuller along the back edge, both blade faces, the fullers, and the spine are overlaid with ornate goldish color metal foil, finely engraved with scrolling foliage motifs. The ricasso below the fullers is finely carved in steel in low relief with a trailing plant and clad with silver panels adorned with identical ornament as the carvings in the steel blade forte.

The dark brown buffalo horn hilt is finely carved in a liya-pata pattern, enclosed by silver straps, and secured to the blade tang by pins with silver washers. The pommel is mounted in a shaped and finely chiseled silver cap.

The ricasso is enclosed by massive, goldish-colored metal panels, chiseled and engraved with scrolls, and adorned with silver arabesques carved at the ends with the heads of the mythical Sinhala bird dragon Sérapéṅdiya.

CONDITION: Showing age and use, blade pitted, silver panels partly missing, absence of one silver pin washer.

Please see all 9 pictures in the listing, as they are part of the object's condition description. MEASUREMENTS:

Overall length: 29 cm (11.42 inches).

REFERENCES:

1. For similar dagger in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York please see the link below.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/32248

2. A Glossary of The Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor” By George Cameron Stone.

We will also provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.